Refocused Hart savours another Toure de force

Man City 5 Fulham 0

Joe Hart has suffered as much as any City player from the plague of inconsistency which may yet mean the relatively modest return of the Capital One Cup is all their owners have to show this season for an investment in the club that now comfortably tops the €1.2 billion mark.

A dramatic loss of form, and attendant costly mistakes, even led to the England first-choice keeper being rested for a spell by Manuel Pellegrini after a number of high-profile errors.

But, in the four games since a home defeat by Chelsea left City chasing the Londoners in the title race a month ago, Hart has yet to concede a league goal, an unbeaten run which now stretches to 418 minutes following this perfunctory victory over a wretched Fulham team.

Hart was left out of nine in a sequence of 11 games late last year and although the 26-year-old has been generally impressive since, his analysis of the situation suggests it is not something with which he has fully come to terms.

“I wanted to play, but I wasn’t playing so I had to work hard and wait for my chance again,” said Hart. “Xabi [Mancisidor, City’s goalkeeping coach] was a great help and I’ve got people who are very close to me and, good or bad, they are the people that I talk to.

“I try to keep things as neutral as possible. There was definitely a re-focus while I was out of the starting line-up and I quite enjoyed it as I tried to get back on track. I don’t subscribe to any social network platforms so it’s quite hard for me to keep in contact with people and supporters, but I could feel their backing, even though I don’t think I needed any special treatment.

“It’s tough to say because that’s probably one of the main reasons I’ve not really spoken about it. I don’t feel it’s case of that side of things being really solved. I’m still training hard – as I would be whether I was in or our of the team – and I’m always working to improve my game.

“I don’t want it to seem as though everything is fine or that it was part of my life that I will forget because I’m still living it and I am trying to live in the moment more recently.

“The past is the past and we don’t know what lies ahead in the future so it’s better to live day by day. We are going to get some wonderful opportunities at this club – some I will be playing in, some that I won’t – and I’m just trying to look at things the best I can.”

In truth, Hart could scarcely have requested a quieter afternoon than the one Felix Magath’s team produced at the Etihad, City shaking off a lack-lustre attacking start to the game to take a lead from a Yaya Toure penalty after Fernando Amorebieta needlessly fouled Alvaro Negredo after 25 minutes.

Soon after the restart, the same Fulham man was sent off in fouling David Silva and presenting a second penalty invitation to Toure, who duly completed his hat-trick with a superb 65th minute strike. Late goals from Fernandinho and Martin Demichelis completed the rout as Fulham capitulated.

Toure’s goals took him through the 20-goal mark, a plateau that he now shares with Sergio Aguero and Negredo with Edin Dzeko hovering just behind that trio, on 18 goals, City should have four players with 20-plus to their name before season’s end.

More importantly, at the start of a week in which City must visit Manchester United tomorrow and Arsenal on Saturday, a return to the freescoring form they demonstrated earlier in the campaign could not have come at a better time for Pellegrini’s players.

“It was important we go into that derby game fully focused and with a lot of confidence, because we know United are also playing very well,” said Toure.

“People have been describing United as being not so good at the moment, but we have to be careful because derbies are never the same and they will have a lot of desire to play us and try to beat us.

“It can happen because anyone can have a bad season. But we all know United are a fantastic club with a great history, and have players to play at this high level.

“At the moment it is not easy for them because they are looking for the one game to win something, and looking to go through in Europe but I always feel United are a good team and if they play like they did against Olympiacos, we have to be careful.”

Magath was critical of his players’ capitulation, especially as the performance followed a morale-boosting win over Newcastle a week earlier, although the German insisted safety remains within their grasp.

“Our home games can save us,” said the Fulham manager. “We have to win them. We got one against Newcastle last week and we have to do it next week against Everton too. Nobody expected us to beat Manchester City here so nothing has happened to us today.

“Everyone knows Manchester City are a better team but next week, at home, we have to win. Manchester City are the best team we have to play for the next few weeks and we still have to play teams around us at the bottom.”

MAN CITY (4-4-1-1): Hart 6; Zabaleta 6, Demichelis 7, Lescott 8, Kolarov 6; Milner 7, Toure 9 (Rodwell 76, 6), Fernandinho 7, Nasri 8 (Jovetic 81); Silva 8 (Navas 67, 7), Negredo 7.

FULHAM (4-3-3): Stockdale 7; Heitinga 5, Hangeland 5, Amorebieta 3, Riise 5; Riether 6, Kvist 5, Sidwell 7; Kacaniklic 4 (Roberts 55, 5), Woodrow 6 (Kasami 83), Richardson 6 (Holtby 55, 5).

Referee: J Moss 8.